Liquid dispensers are widely used in various industries. Chemical solutions including fertilizers, pesticides, and detergents and so on are often mixed from various concentrates and solvents before dispensed for use or storage. Similar dispensers also find applications in the medical field. In the food and beverage industry, liquid dispensers are widely used in all kinds of venues such as quick service restaurants.
The liquid dispensers used in food and beverage industry reconstitute juice syrup concentrates with a potable diluent, e.g., potable water, and then dispense the reconstituted juice into a container at the point of consumption. This kind of dispensers are sometimes called “postmix” dispensers as they produce a final product in contrast to a “premix” beverage that is prepackaged with the final constituents (flavor, gas, etc.) and ready for consumption. For safety and taste reasons, a postmix beverage dispenser often requires refrigeration in the dispenser of various components that eventually go into the postmix product.
Existing liquid dispensing apparatuses used in the food and beverage industry often includes a water bath where an evaporator is placed to form an ice bank or reservoir. The ice bank in the water bath provides a cold reserve and is used to separately chill the potable water before it is mixed with the juice concentrate. Specifically, the potable water flows through heat exchange lines in the water bath and is cooled thereby prior to its combination with the juice concentrate.
The juice concentrate may also be cooled prior to its combination with the potable water. Typically, the concentrate is contained within a flexible bag or rigid plastic container from which the concentrate is pumped to a post-mix valve. The concentrate reservoir is held within a dedicated compartment in the dispenser housing. That compartment can be cooled by the circulation of cold water from the water bath through heat exchange coils in the concentrate compartment.
A beverage dispenser with a water bath is not the most energy-efficient way to refrigerate components of the dispenser as it relies on a cold reserve, ice or icy water, which provides an extra venue for energy loss. The cold reserve is not well adapted for providing immediate chilling either. Further, the water bath also requires additional maintenance. Furthermore, it takes up space and adds to the overall footprint of the dispenser. Accordingly, a more compact and efficient liquid dispenser is needed.